Legal Counsel for Large Churches.
Attorney Regan VanSteenis and her team represent established churches and the pastors who lead them on governance, intellectual property and church-pastor agreements, starting with a confidential Legal Review.
20+ Years of Church Legal Counsel
Former General Counsel for Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen Ministries
Our practice is focused on large and established churches and their pastors: congregations of 2,000 or more, and churches five to ten years in that are adding campuses, entities, staff or media.
Large and established churches
Who we represent
Most churches we serve have been growing for years. Their size changed faster than their documents.
2,000 or more in weekly attendance
Bylaws, policies and approvals written for a much smaller church.
Five to ten years in, and scaling
The documents from the launch years are still in charge.
Multiple campuses or entities
Campuses, schools, foundations and LLCs, and the agreements between them.
Books, media and broadcast
Sermons, books, music and media with real value and unclear ownership.
Buildings and expansion
Acquisitions, leases and construction with the balance sheet at stake.
Leadership transition
Succession, a new senior leader, or a board being rebuilt.
Planting or leading a smaller church? Start with our free Resources library, or find self-help church document templates at Faith Docs.
Get started today
Start with a Church Legal Review
A confidential, attorney-led review of your church's legal foundation. We read your governing documents, agreements and policies, meet with your leadership, and show you what needs attention before the next stage of growth.
What we review
- Governance, bylaws and board
- Entities, campuses and tax-exempt status
- Pastor and executive agreements
- Compensation and housing allowance
- Intellectual property and media rights
- Contracts, vendors and property
- HR, staffing and child safety
- Insurance and risk
What you receive
- Written findings, area by area
- A prioritized roadmap
- A board-ready summary
- Your options for next steps
How it runs
- A few hours of your leadership's time, on site or by video
- Your written report in about six weeks
- A fixed fee, agreed in writing before we begin
- No obligation to engage us further
When churches ask for one
- You have crossed 2,000 in weekly attendance.
- You are five to ten years in and still scaling.
- You are adding a campus, school or entity.
- A new board chair, executive pastor or CFO wants a baseline.
- Succession or a leadership change is ahead.
- A media, publishing or property deal is on the table.
What we do
Practice areas
Most engagements begin with a Legal Review, which shows where to focus.
Intellectual Property & Brand
Who owns the sermons, books, music and media, and how your name is protected.
Learn moreGovernance & Boards
Bylaws, boards and structures built for the church you are now.
Learn morePastor & Executive Agreements
The relationship between the church and its senior leaders, in writing.
Learn moreTransactions & Growth
Campus acquisitions, launches, mergers, publishing and broadcast deals.
Learn moreHR & Child Safety
Policies and practices for large staffs and volunteer teams.
Learn moreCompliance & Risk
Tax-exempt status, financial controls, insurance and crisis readiness.
Learn moreExperience
Representative experience
Former General Counsel for Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen Ministries
Legal counsel on the purchase of an NBA arena for a megachurch
Legal counsel on the launch of a first-of-its-kind SiriusXM faith-based radio channel
Legal counsel on the negotiation of 10 New York Times best-selling Christian books
More than $1 billion in church transactions advised
Trademark clearance, filings and enforcement for churches and ministries
Representative matters from Regan VanSteenis's career. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
About
Founder: Regan VanSteenis
legal counsel
transactions advised
ministries served
Regan VanSteenis
Founder and Lead Attorney · Licensed in Texas and Virginia
Regan has served as legal counsel to churches and ministries for more than 20 years, including as General Counsel for Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen Ministries.
She is a pastor's daughter and an ordained minister.
Grace Long
Attorney · Licensed in the District of Columbia
Trademark clearance, registration and enforcement, plus tax-exempt and governance matters for churches.
Sandy Pineda
Attorney · Licensed in Florida
Has served as legal counsel to King Jesus International Ministry.
Lili Vilella
HR Support
More than 22 years in HR, including executive teams at some of South Florida's largest megachurches.
What pastors are saying
“I wouldn’t want to take on any project of significance without her wisdom, insight, advice, and experience.”
Pastor John Gray, Relentless Church
“Regan has been providing Grace Avenue Church with legal and business advice since its founding, from strong foundational documents and planning, to employment questions, to pastoral compensation issues, to intellectual property matters, and more.”
Pastors Daniel and Janelle Viareal, Grace Avenue Church
Statements from individual church leaders. Every church's situation is different.
FAQs
Who do you represent?
Large and established churches and their pastors: usually 2,000 or more in weekly attendance, or five to ten years in and adding campuses, entities, staff or media. If you lead a smaller church, start with our free Resources library or the self-help templates at Faith Docs.
What does a Legal Review cover?
Governance and bylaws, entities and tax-exempt status, pastor and executive agreements, compensation, intellectual property, contracts, HR and child safety, and insurance.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
It takes a few hours of your leadership's time, on site or by video. Your written report follows in about six weeks. The Legal Review is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before we begin.
What happens after the review?
You receive written findings, a prioritized roadmap and a board-ready summary. You can engage us for specific projects, retain us as ongoing outside counsel, or carry the roadmap forward with your own team.
Does contacting you make you our attorney?
No. Submitting a request or speaking with us on a call does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship begins only when both sides sign an engagement agreement. Please do not send confidential details through the website. Once we are engaged, we will set up a secure way to share documents.
Where are your attorneys licensed?
Regan VanSteenis is licensed in Texas and Virginia. Grace Long is licensed in the District of Columbia and Sandy Pineda in Florida. We advise churches across the country and work with local counsel in your state when a matter requires it.
Do you handle litigation?
No. Our work is proactive counsel: governance, agreements, intellectual property, transactions and compliance. If a dispute becomes litigation, we help you find and work alongside litigation counsel.
Get started today
Request a Legal Review
Tell us about your church. Regan reads every request and will reply to arrange a short call if it looks like a fit.
Submitting the form below does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential information.
Tell us about your church
In your message, please include your average weekend attendance, how long the church has been established, your number of campuses, and what prompted you to reach out.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential information.
